So, you bought a smart lock. You can unlock it with a PIN code, you can unlock it with a password, or you could unlock it with your smartphone. But choosing a PIN code, or a password, is far from easy. Yes, it might be intuitive to just put “1234”, or “0000”, or even “password”, and get it out of the way. But being so lax about home security is actually a really, really bad idea.
Considering you no longer need to make copies of keys, you could at least go as far as to remember a good, strong password. If you don’t have one, you’ve pretty much wasted your money since those easy passwords are very simple to guess. If a thief is even the tiniest bit smart, they can easily guess them and get pretty-much unrestricted access to your home.
So, what should you do? First, you should know what passwords you should avoid. Then, you should know which passwords are actually secure, and last but not least, you should know who to share your password with. Oh, and update it once in a while.
What Should You Avoid?
You know the biggest mistake users make, aside from using simple, obvious passwords? Using the same password for multiple accounts. Your email, your social media, your banking accounts, your door lock, they should all have different passwords. Having one password for multiple accounts is not safe.
Instead, take a moment, and think about things about yourself that others know. Your birth date, your spouse’s name, your phone number, and such similar facts that other people may know. Write down these things, and remember not to use any of them as your password.
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Also, as we mentioned in the beginning, by all means, stay away from passwords that are overly simple. A simple phrase you found in the book you were just reading isn’t a secure password. And it’s also a good idea to have your password be a bit longer, just to be on the safe side.
Last but not least, consider your young children. You and your spouse might be able to remember a complex, 10 character password, but can your kid remember it, too? They do need to get in the home one way or another, don’t they? Make sure they can remember the password you set.
How Do You Pick a Strong Password?
When you know what to avoid, next you should figure out what is a good idea. There are a lot of combinations, but an interesting suggestion is to make a combination of numbers that have some kind of connection to your family. For example, if you have three kids, aged 8, 13 and 16, you could have the password be “381316”. You’ll be able to remember it, but it’s difficult to guess.
Another option is to make a game out of it. Have all your family members write a random number on a piece of paper, and put them all in a bowl. Each family member should draw a number, and you can have the digits, in the order, they were chosen in, be the password.
Or, what if you have a vacation house in a completely different country? Let’s say you’ve got a house in Los Angeles that you visit every once in a while, and your family knows about it. A house in Los Angeles, California could remind you of LACA, which could be your password. It’s simple and memorable for you, but impossible to guess.
Who Do You Share It With?
If you went through all of the trouble of choosing a good, strong password that people won’t be able to guess, it only makes sense that you don’t want to share it with just about anyone. By all means, tell it to your close family, but make sure your children understand that they shouldn’t be telling it to anyone.
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When you’ve got friends or family visiting, you shouldn’t be telling them your password. Instead, create a temporary one that will only be useful while they’re around. The minute they leave, you should revert back to your original passcode.
And one key thing, never write down the passcode on a piece of paper or have it stuck to the refrigerator for all visitors to see. Make sure you memorize it and don’t share it with just about everyone.
Keep It Updated
No matter how clever the password you chose is, it shouldn’t be left like that for long periods of time. We aren’t saying you should change it daily, but doing so every couple of months is a great idea and more than enough to keep you safe.